You may have seen an ad in your local paper, promoting a seminar on the “wonders” of stem cell therapies. They are becoming increasingly common all around the US.

The ads talk about the ability of stem cells to heal everything from arthritis to autism. But what they don’t talk about is that they are not approved by the FDA for use in patients, and that they are not proven to do anything except remove large amounts of money from your wallet.

One TV reporter decided to see exactly what was on offer at these clinics. So CBSLA Investigative Reporter David Goldstein went to a free stem cell seminar in the City of Orange, put on by the Stem Cell Institute of Orange County, and found that there was a huge gap between what was being promised and what was being delivered.